my stand mixer 
. I wanted some really stiff buttercream for flower decorating and in the middle of mixing a doulbe batch the mixer starting making a funny noise and the beaters quit spinning. What a bummer...we had been such good friends.. I admit it...I loved the little sucker 
!
Now, I get to buy a new toy...YAY!!! I need a reliable stand mixer with a reputation for durability. After all, if I'm going to spend alot it BETTER last for years! What brand do you guys/gals recommend?
Thanks in advance for your replies. 
My sister-in-law got a Hamilton Beach mixer for her wedding. After less than 6 months something with the speeds got messed up. It was a huge mess with the company. I have never had to deal with KA comp. myself, but I heard that they are great to work with. She now has a KA, with a flip top and loves it. I also have a KA with a flip top and I also love it.
I have a KA Pro 600 and I love it! I don't know how I ever baked anything without it. The bowl has 6qt capacity, but dh used it Sunday morning to make a single batch of icing for cinnamon rolls. I love the bowl lift too. I say go for the biggest mixer you can afford...you won't regret it!
I have a KA with a flip head (the Artisan). I love it!
You just have to remember that when you're doing fondant or anything super stiff to use speech 2 only. I learned my lesson the hard way. Anything other than speed 2 will kill the motor. I've not had any problems since then and it's great!
I've tried the kind where the bowl goes up and down, but I don't like it nearly as much.
Sarah
For what we do, I recommend nothing less than a KA. When I first started, I bought a stand mixer from JC PEnny's (their brand). It had a one year guarentee..... I got 3 mixers from them and they finally said I wasn't allowed to return it anymore and get a new one. The gears were plastic and with the use I was putting it thru, I was literally melting the gears in that sucker!
KA last "most" people a lifetime (although I've burned out one of them .... thank god I always keep a spare on hand!). Spend the money ... it's worth it!
Kohl's frequently has them on sale at really good prices. I bought my daughter one for Christmas (and picked me up a spare) one year for $169. Reg price was over $250.
I have the KA Artisan series with the top that flips up. LOVE IT!!!
Go with KA! I have two and have had one for 10 years, and the other for 5, and they get used daily!! Never had any probs with either one, and I make fondant in mine!
There is no comparison to the KA mixer that I have personally found! I have the artisan, and the 'big boy' pro model. I use them both almost daily, but have to say that the artisan is really the better of the two! I don't like the icing as much in the big mixer as the artisan. I have NO CLUE what the difference is, but it's just better in the artisan. Enjoy shopping, and get something gooooood!! 
I have the KA where the bowl lifts, and I actually like it that way, but I've never used one where the beaters flip up. I've had mine for about 8 years, it got little use until I took up the cake stuff, but it works like a champ, and even did the MMF all the way (all PS was added).
I agree, get the biggest you can afford.
Yeah! the KA w/ flip top is great. I went from manually mixing for a while to a KA, I have not had any problems. I have had it for 3 years now, I love it!! I didn't want to mess around and get anything but the best. (in my opinion).
Theresa
OK, I have a Kitchen Aid and it's great -but mine is an old one- made when Kitchen Aid was owned by Hobart. I have read here about the new ones burning out, stripping gears etc. However people here have said that they have had excellent customer service while the machine was under warranty. Occasionally, some have mentioned DeLonghi as being excellent also. No idea if their customer service is good. Do your research and check out as many reviews as you can.
KA all the way. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Angie
I don't do the cakes etc. that ya'll do, but I have a KA which flips up. the first night I got it, I was mixing something w/ brown sugar and in about 3 minutes, it stopped turning. I called the co. (remember I had just got it and had just taken it out of the box, not sent in warantee or anything). Before I could even describe the problem the man asked me if I was mixing w/ brown sugar. He said they get that a lot. Apparently a granule of the hard sugar got stuck in the beaters and burned up the motor. Well, the upshot is he told me to box it up and set it on my porch and they would deliver a new one. Which they did. So I love the KA company..... Didn't cost me anything extra. He did tell me to be very careful when using brown sugar and make sure it is soft.
I dream of having a KA, but for now I am using a hand me down mixer. It is a Sunbeam that is from the 70's. My mom bought it from a yard sale for $10 many years ago. It is the 70's gold color ~ it looks very nice on my kitchen couter~ 
. It has some problems, but until it quits, I will trudge along with it!
I love both my KA's I have the artisan and the pro 600. The only problem with the 600 is that I hear the beater scrap the side or bottom of the bowl sometimes. I really don't know how to correct this. But I agree with everybody else if you do a bunch of cakes bigger is better.
go with kitchen aide, i have a hamilton beach commercial 7 quart mixer and it over heats while mixing an icing. once it cools down it will restart. but its a pain in the butt, i dont like having to wait for it to cool. now i have a 20 qt commercial hobart!!!
I have a pro 600 and a classic...I prefer the flip up type...so if I could get another it would be the Artisian. Check out the KA website...my pro is a refurbish and I have had great luck with it and I got a really good deal on it and the shipping was free! Good luck!
I just got a pro 600 last week.. It was on sale at Kohl's for $399, reg $499- but they didn't have anymore left. So I asked an employee if I could purchase the floor model. She said yes, and I got an extra 10% discount! Well that same day if you used your kohl's charge you got a scratch off ticket with another discount, mine was 30%!!! Plus there was a $30 rebate. When all was said and done it cost me just over $250-- so check KOHLS! You have to watch for a sale, but it's worth the wait!!
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